Ecballium elaterium

The bitter cucumber, devil's gherkin or elaterium (Ecballium elaterium) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, the only known species of the genus Ecballium, a genus that is characterized —among other things— for being the only one of the family that has no tendrils.

Features

Devil's Pepper Flowers

With creeping stems, heart-shaped, triangular, thick and irregularly toothed leaves, the underside of which is rough due to its hard hairs, unpleasant to the touch but not thorny. Yellowish, slightly bell-shaped flowers, about 2.5 cm in diameter and five petals. Very characteristic pendulous ovoid fruit, 4 to 5 cm long, supported by a long peduncle that gradually swells until internal pressure breaks it. Through the hole, the seeds will come out under pressure, reaching a distance of up to three meters. When the fruit is ripe, the slightest touch causes it to burst due to hydrostatic pressure.

Distribution

Flowers and leaves

The immature monastery Ecballium elateriumThe devil's pickle

Circum-Mediterranean, and as far as Armenia and Macaronesia; in fallows, roadsides, etc.; somewhat nitrophilic.

Uses

The entire plant is toxic as it contains elaterin and cucurbitacin, which are highly toxic compounds with a purgative action. Formerly its fruits were used in medicine.

Internally it can cause serious gastroenteric disorders with bleeding, in case of excessive doses even death. In a state of pregnancy it is abortive.

Taxonomy

Ecballium elaterium was described by (L.) A.Rich. and published in Dictionnaire classique d'histoire naturelle 6: 19. 1824.

Synonyms

• Momordica elaterium L., Sp. Pl.2, 1010, 1753[2]. Basiónimo
• Bryonia elaterium (L.) E.H.L.Krause
• Ecballium agreste Rchb.
• Ecballium officinaleT.Nees
• Ecballium officinarum Rich. ex M.Roem.
• Ecballium purgans Schrad.
• Elaterium cordifolium Moench
• Momordica aspera Lam. Unsolved
• Momordica ecirrhata Stokes Unsolved
• Momordica elastica Salisb. Unsolved

Vernacular names

• In Andalusia and Extremadura: Verdelobo and/or berdelobo.
• Spanish: alficoz, balsamina picante, calabacilla hedionda, chumbuti, cocombrillo wild, cogombrillo amargo, cogombro, cogombro amerch, cogombro wild, cohombrillo, cohombrillo amargo, cohombro, cohombro amargo, cohondrillo amargo, cojombrillo, herb of the devil, meloncicos